Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1991-04-30]]> Second photograph is of a ceremony, captioned 'G/Capt Cheshire V.C. at ceremony to unveil portrait of Roy Chadwick'.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> Towards the end of the war, Derek did various bomber instructor courses and became a bombing instructor at RAF Lossiemouth on Wellingtons for Free French aircrew in 4 Group. He was an expert on the Mark XIV bombsights. He would deliver some lectures and fly as a screened bomb aimer to check they were following the correct procedures.
On the invitation from a flight commander, Derek volunteered to join Tiger Force at RAF Swinderby, a Heavy Conversion Unit onto Lancasters. They trained on a different navigational radar system, Loran, to get to Okinawa in the Far East. However, war then ended.
Derek was posted to RAF Blyton where he was designated as an equipment officer for bomb disposal in western Europe. He went on a course at RAF Bicester. Derek was demobilised when stationed at Technical Training Command headquarters at RAF Brampton. He had wanted to stay on in the RAF but did not want to lose his job with his employer.
Derek describes a typical day on operations and his role as bomb aimer, as well as a difficult operation to Abbeville in which Leonard Cheshire was the master bomber.
After the war, Derek was a company director in road transport and was very much involved with the Air Training Corps.]]>
Harry Bartlett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Sally Coulter]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Oxfordshire]]> Scotland--Moray]]> France]]> France--Abbeville]]> 1944]]> 1945]]>
Andrew Panton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Gill Kavanagh]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary. Allocated T Holmes]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> France--Mimoyecques]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Saumur]]> Germany--Peenemünde]]> France--Watten]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> France--Mailly-le-Camp]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Dan Ellin]]> Heather Hughes]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Brian May]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Sorpe Dam]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> Nicky Barr]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Brian May]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> New Zealand]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Rutland]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--London]]> California--San Francisco]]> United States]]> California]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943-05-16]]> 1943-05-17]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Great Britain]]> United States]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Sue Johnstone]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Hugh Donnelly]]> Richard James]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Rutland]]> 1940]]> 1943]]> 1945]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Mal Prissick]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Yemen (Republic)--Aden]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Spain]]> Spain--Bilbao]]> Yemen (Republic)]]> 1940-08-15]]> 1942-06-12]]> 1943]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Mal Prissick]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> France]]> Great Britain]]> Yemen (Republic)--Aden]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Spain]]> Spain--Bilbao]]> Yemen (Republic)]]> 1940]]> 1942-06-12]]> 1945]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> France--Paris]]> 1944-04-18]]> 1944-04-19]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Geolocated]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> ]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> France--Limoges]]> 1944-02-08]]> 1944-02-09]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]>
A civilian and two airmen under a Lancaster with a mocked up bouncing bomb during the filming of The Dam Busters. Standing with his hands on his hips is pilot Joe Kmiecik.
]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]>

A letter from the King awarding Ernie Twells his Distinguished Flying Cross.
]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Laura Morgan]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> France]]> Norway]]> Russia (Federation)]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Physical object]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> Ontario]]> Harry Bartlett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Mick Jeffery]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> England--Derbyshire]]> England--Kent]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Shropshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Folkestone]]> England--Spurn Head]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> 1942]]> Clare Bennett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Andrew Panton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Although he wanted to be a pilot, Ted’s skills were needed as a flight engineer. He was posted to 35 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse in 1940 where he encountered Flight Lieutenant Leonard Cheshire. Later that year, Ted found a crew and aircraft and started operations over Germany. After only four operations, he went to instruct pilots and flight engineers on Halifaxes at 102 Squadron.
Ted was posted to Pathfinders 35 Squadron and was the first flight engineer to be commissioned. After 47 operations, he volunteered and was sent for training as a mid-upper gunner to a Pathfinder Training Unit and 7 Squadron, who needed experienced people. He had to learn about Lancasters, which he compares in some detail to Halifaxes.
Ted outlines the work of the Pathfinders and how the system became more sophisticated. He encountered Donald Bennett and once flew with him, as well as flying with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris to Brazil.
Ted flew 108 operations (47 on Halifaxes and 61 on Lancasters). He was awarded a Distinguished Service Order.
Ted did an engineering officers’ course at RAF St Athan, followed by 24 Squadron, a VIP transport squadron, flying Lancastrians.
After pilot training in 1947, Ted was flight commander on 217 squadron. He flew Neptunes, which he compares favourably to Shackletons. Ted was then posted to Germany for two years as adjutant with an Air Observation Post squadron and flew Austers. He left the RAF because of impaired hearing.]]>
David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Vivienne Tincombe]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Wales--Vale of Glamorgan]]> Germany]]> 1938]]> 1940]]>